Mental Health vs. Behavioral Health

The term mental health and behavioral Health are often interchanged for each other when classifying some of the common medical disorders and illnesses such as anxiety and depression. There has been an emerging trend among medical professionals, patients, and their families to classify mental health disorders as behavioral health disorders in order to move away from the negative stigmas and stereotypes associated with the term “mental health”. There are hundreds of articles online and in print that provide conflicting information between the terms mental health and behavioral health, further complicating how we classify many of the disorders and diseases.

The change in classification is not necessarily a bad thing as long as people continue to take these illnesses and disorders serious. At Peak Behavioral Health, the main focus remains caring for and helping our patients get the help they need to get better.

Mental Health

Medical disorders and illnesses related to mental health are often times biological or neurological issues a person is born with. They generally never go away for good, but it is important to know that with proper treatment, people affected with these disorders can live a fairly normal life.

Treatment for mental health disorders can come in the form of psychological therapy, medication, and in many cases, a combination of the two.

Below is a list of examples related to the field of Mental Health.

Addictions

Autism

ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Addictions: Alcohol And Substance Abuse

Anxiety Disorders

Bipolar Disorder

Conversion Disorders

Depression: Major Depression & Unipolar Varieties

Childhood Mental Disorders And Illnesses

Eating Disorders

Dissociative Disorders

Impulse Control Disorders

Internet Addiction And Media Issues

Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders

Personality Disorders

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Schizophrenia

Sexual Disorders

Suicide

Tourette’s And Other Tic Disorders

Behavioral Health

According to the experts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Behavioral Health is classified as “a state of mental/emotional being and/or choices and actions that affect wellness. Behavioral health problems include substance abuse or misuse, alcohol and drug addiction, serious psychological distress, suicide, and mental and substance use disorders.”

Medical conditions listed under Behavioral Health generally fall under the personal decisions individuals make or decisions others make that affect another person. These decisions can be prompted by significant life events such as losing the life of a family member or friend, getting injured in a car accident, getting made fun of in social situations, or another event that results in a person having a hard time managing their feelings and emotions.

A person struggling with his or her behavioral health may encounter:

Anxiety

Stress

Depression

Relationship problems

Grief

Addiction

Mood disorders

Other psychological concerns

With time, the acceptance of many mental health illnesses and disorders will become more widely understood and accepted in our society. When this happens, the need to change the classification to avoid negative stereotypes and stigmas will decrease. Until that time, we at Peak Behavioral Health know the most important aspect of recovery is to understand the problem and provide proper treatment.